Can closure



1955 c. BOGERT 3,215,609

CAN CLOSURE Filed NOV. 18, 1965 IN VENTOR CLAYTON BOGERT ARTHUR L.WHINSTON AT TORNEY.

United States Patent 3,216,609 CAN CLOSURE Clayton Bogert, 118 Lowell Road, Glen Rock, NJ. Filed Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,291 8 Claims. (Cl. 220-54) This invention relates to a can construction and, more particularly, to a pull-open can construction that will provide means for re-sealing the can once it has been cued. Can constructions have been disclosed in the past wherein a completely removable tear strip is formed in an appropriate part of the can, for example, the top. The strip is removable by pulling on a lever, key or tab formed integrally therewith or permanently mounted on one end thereof. In these constructions the removable section or tear strip is generally made by scoring the top surface of the can. In some of the prior constructions a metal cover was attached to the top of the removable tear strip, the cover being replaceable over the opening to close the same after the can had once been opened. (See, for example, US. Patents Nos. 2,023,151 and 2,574,720.) In other constructions a metal lid was provided underneath the tear strip, thereby to effect closure of the can after the strip was removed. (See, for example, Patent No. 2,166,783.) In none of these constructions, however, was the metal closure member effective in rendering the can liquid or gas tight after the scored surface on the top of the can had once been broken. In addition, where the closure member was attached exteriorly of the tear strip, a serious sanitary problem was created.

It is, thus, an object of the present invention to provide a can construction having a tear strip or pull-open top with a sealing member that will render the can completely re-sealable after the initial opening thereof.

It is a further object to make such a can re-sealable in a manner that will render it both liquid and gas tight.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a sealing member in association with a hingeable tear strip, wherein the tear strip is not completely removed from the top of the can, but can hinge about one side thereof, becoming, in effect, a lid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a can construction with a sealing member that is integral with the can and is protectively stored interiorly thereof until the can is opened, and which then can be pulled through the opening formed in the top when the tear strip is hinged back.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a can construction in association with a pouring spout.

These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by providing in a rigid container of the type to be hereinafter described a scored portion in the top thereof which forms a weakened area capable of being broken in a manner so as to form a hinged tab and an opening in the top. Means are attached to the top of the tab for lifting the same. A flexible and resilient sealing member, preferably formed of either rubber or plastic, is attached to the underside of the tab, the sealing member being larger than but having the same general shape as the tab. The sealing member, by virtue of its shape and construction, is capable of being pulled through the opening in the top of the container when the tab is lifted, but is also adapted to fit into the opening and seal the same when the tab is returned to a position approximately flush with the top of the container. The sealing member will, thus, re-seal the opening formed in the top of the container liquid or gas tight, as required. A novel shape for the sealing member is also herein disclosed, which shape will render said sealing member particularly effective for its intended purpose.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following drawings and description, wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container improved in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a container improved in accordance with this invention, showing the can prior to opening;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, only taken when the tear strip is hinged back;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, only showing how the hinged tab and sealing member re-seal the opening in the can;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, showing the invention in association with a pouring spout;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the pouring spout blank, showing both its outline and the lines about which it is bent;

FIG. 9 is top plan view of another embodiment of this invention, showing the top of the can prior to its being opened; and

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 9, showing the hinged tab ready to be pulled open.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. l-3, there is disclosed a rigid container, such as the ordinary can, referred to by numeral 11, comprising a cylindrical body portion 12 and a top 13, which may be crimped on to the body portion 12 in a conventional manner. Top 13 is scored along a curved line 14, which provides a weakened area 15 in the top of the can.

Attached to the upper side of the weakened area 15 is a pulling lever 16, which can be used to break open the top 13 of the can along the scored line 14. When the top 13 is broken, it will form a hinged tab 17, which can be lifted up, thereby to provide an opening 18 in the top 13. The top of the can is preferably creased along line 21, to permit hinged tab 17 to bend about it easily.

Attached to the under side of the weakened area 15 is a flexible and resilient sealing member 20. Sealing member 20 has the same general shape as the hinged tab 17, although it is slightly larger, as can be clearly seen from the drawings. Sealing member 20 is preferably made of rubber or other elastomeric material, or plastic, such as polyethylene. It must be sufficiently flexible, however, to permit its being pulled through the opening 18 formed in the top 13 when the hinged tab 17 is lifted.

The shape of sealing member 20 is best shown in FIGS. 3-5 and 7. There it can be seen that it is preferably tapered in cross-section from a minimum depth at hinge line 21 to a maximum depth at the other end of the hinged tab 17. Furthermore, the edges 22 of the sealing member 20 are beveled, thereby to permit a tight closure when the hinged tab is pressed back into a position approximately flush with the top 13 of the can 11. This is shown clearly in FIG. 5.

The entire assembly of the pulling lever 16, hinged tab 17 and flexible and resilient sealing member 20 are attached together by a rivet 23.

It can thus be seen that I have disclosed a can construction wherein the hinged tab 17 is provided with an integral sealing member 20', such that when the hinged tab 17 is pressed back into a position approximating that of its initial state, the sealing member 20 renders the can 11 re-sealable both liquid and gas tight. The sealing member 20 is integral with the top of the can and, since it is protectively stored interiorly thereof until the can is once opened, it is kept clean and sanitary.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the invention in association with a pouring spout 25, which is itself comprised of a center portion 26 and side portions 27 and 28. The. spout 25 may be attached to the sealing member by having the edges 29 of the side portions 27 and 28 pressed into the sealing member 20, as shown. In addition, the spout has stops 30 cut into its side portions 27 and 28 to prevent the spout 25 from being pulled through the opening 18 when the hinged tab 17 is lifted. It will be seen that the provision of spout 25 does not affect the ability of the sealing member 20 to re-seal the container top 13 with a liquid or gas-tight seal.

I have shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 another embodiment of my invention wherein the top 13 of the container 11 is provided with two closely-spaced parallel scored lines 32 and 33, which form a narrow strip 34 therebetween. Attached to one end 35 of strip 34 is a small tab 36. Pulling on tab 36 completely removes strip 34 from the top of the container. This then leaves a hinged tab 37, to the top of which is attached an opening lever 38 and to the bottom of which is attached the sealing member 39. Hinged tab 37, lever 38 and sealing member 39 can all be attached together by a rivet 40, as previously described. Having a separate strip 34 which can be completely removed from the top of the container facilitates opening thereof and also will prevent any tendency of the hinged tab 37 to twist.

Although the invention has been illustrated with respect to a can type of container having the opening in the top, there is nothing to prevent the opening from being placed in some other suitable part of the container. It will thus be seen that I have disclosed a can construction which is extremely simple and economical to construct and one which may be applied to any type of rigid can construction. It is also to be understood that the form of the invention herein shown and described is only to be taken as an illustrative example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be had without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rigid container, the improvement comprising:

a scored portion in the top of said container providing a weakened area capable of being broken to form a hinged tab and an opening in said top;

means attached to the top of said tab for lifting the same;

and a flexible and resilient sealing member attached to the underside of said tab,

said sealing member being larger than but having the same general shape as said tab,

said sealing member being capable of being pulled through said opening in said top when said tab is lifted, but being adapted to fit into said opening and seal the same fluid-tight when said tab is pressed into a position approximately flush with said top.

2. The device of claim 1, in which said sealing member is an elastomeric member.

3. The device of claim 1, in which said sealing member is a plastic member.

4. The device of claim 1, in which said sealing member is tapered in cross-section from a minimum depth at the hinged end of said tab to a maximum depth at the other end of said tab.

5. The device of claim 4, in which the edges of said sealing member are beveled.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a pouring spout depending from said sealing member and movable within said opening in said top of said container.

7. The device of claim 1, in which said scored portion in said container top comprises two closely-spaced parallel scored lines forming a narrow strip therebetween, and means attached to one end of said strip for detaching the same completely from said container top, thereby to form said hinged tab and said opening in said container top.

8. The device of claim 1, in which said hinged tab, said lifting means for said hinged tab, and said sealing member are all attached together by rivet means passing therethrough.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,615,610 10/52 White 2297 2,832,516 4/58 Von Culin 222-54l 3,119,509 1/64 Livesay et a1 22024 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A RIGID CONTAINER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A SCORED PORTION IN THE TOP OF SAID CONTAINER PROVIDING A WEAKENED AREA CAPABLE OF BEING BROKEN TO FORM A HINGED TAB AND AN OPENING IN SAID TOP; MEANS ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF SAID TAB FOR LIFTING THE SAME; AND A FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT SEALING MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TAB, SAID SEALING MEMBER BEING LARGER THAN BUT HAVING THE SAME GENERAL SHAPE AS SAID TAB, SAID SEALING MEMBER BEING CAPABLE OF BEING PULLED THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID TOP WHEN SAID TAB IS LIFTED, BUT BEING ADAPTED TO FIT INTO SAID OPENING AND SEAL THE SAME FLUID-TIGHT WHEN SAID TAB IS PRESSED INTO A POSITION APPROXIMATELY FLUSH WITH SAID TOP. 